Our Story

So much more than soap.

Indigenous owned and operated, The Yukon Soaps Company creates beautiful, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, essential oil blends, and so much more.

Featuring wild rose petals, juniper berries, a Yukon-shaped press, and the artwork of Indigenous artisans, these soaps are literally infused and imprinted with the spirit of the Yukon.

FAQ Page

For over ten years, YSC has been supporting economic diversification, authentic relationships with customers, and bringing life to the heart of the Yukon.

With their high-quality handmade soaps inspired by Yukon land, The Yukon Soaps Company has become a household staple and souvenir of choice for visitors—take a little bit of the Yukon home with you.

Custom Soaps

If you would like to learn how to make natural soap or other natural wellness products with Joella, you may request a workshop now! To learn more click the link below. We provide workshops to all ages and group sizes. The option to have Joella travel to your community is also available.

Our workshop options include:

Plant medicine bath salts, sugar scrub, room spray, bath tea, paper soap making, and of course, handcrafted natural soap.

Learn How to Make Natural Soap

Along with handcrafting soaps, Joella has worked to make her business a community-building, language-learning, Earth-connecting hub in the heart of the Yukon.

When she took on the company, Joella was looking for a way to connect people to culture and to land. And she has done just that—from getting Elders and local children out on the land to gather wild botanicals, to offering soap workshops and a business development program. The Yukon Soaps Company elevates Indigenous cultures and connects you to the heart of the North.

Natural Soapmaking 101 Book

The mission of the Yukon Soaps Company is to empower, nurture and elevate Northern Indigenous cultures, communities and people.

They invest in their community by hiring local, passionate people and honouring deep ancestral knowledge passed down from their Elders. Their team is encouraged to uphold the four Northern Tutchone values of caring, sharing, teaching and respect. In doing so, they hope to create a positive transformation for the community, economy and environment in Mayo.

Blog

Loving life in the heart of the Yukon.

I come from a long line of strong, vibrant, Indigenous women. My matriarchs are teachers, healers, bush women, social advocates, and cultural leaders. They’ve taught me how to take action and make things happen. Through my line of handcrafted soaps, I work to share the talent of my family and community.

When I moved to Mayo to live in my grandmother's community on our traditional territory, I envisioned reconnecting with the people of our community, land, and culture.

Happily, I’ve been able to do all of that through The Yukon Soaps Company - from incorporating local plants in my formulations, employing community, sharing Indigenous beadwork and plant knowledge, and sprinkling in Northern Tutchone language wherever I can. The Yukon Soaps Company has allowed me to reach people in a meaningful, authentic way and empower our community.

When beginning my soap making journey, it was when I came home to find local children had left baskets full of wild rose petals for my soaps that I knew I had made the right choice. Focusing on my community and young people, I chose to open my heart and mind and contribute my skills and experiences to do the heart work and the hard work. Promoting community wellness and supporting people along their journey through cultural programs, small business mentorships, as well as advocating for clean rivers and acts of resilience. The Yukon Soaps Company reflects our Dan Ke values and Indigenous ways of knowing and being. At the core of my business is the belief that traditional ways of knowing and being can create abundance. With the support of my community, Elders, and loyal customers, I have created a life and a business that brings joy, is regenerative and supportive.

I am also a professional heritage worker who continues to bring Northern Tutchone culture and heritage to the forefront of life in northern Yukon. As an active advocate for my First Nation and a dedicated community builder, with the guidance of our Elders Circle, we've helped record Indigenous oral history and knowledge all with the over-arching goal of empowering Northern peoples and (re)connecting with the land.